08A*
A Call to Worship
Epiphany of the Lord Year A 2011
Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14

O God our Guide and Helper, we come to worship you!
You stay beside us as we journey through life.

O God our Just and Holy One, we come to thank you!
You lead us in your path of justice and peace.

O God, our Trustworthy Leader, we come to praise you!
We know we can always rely on your promises.
O God, we gather to worship, praise and thank you. Amen.

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Prayers of Intercession
Epiphany of the Lord Year A 2011
Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14

Holy God, we come together to praise and worship you,
the Ruler and Leader of all peoples on the earth. We pray
for peoples of this earth who suffer under the rule of unjust
regimes and governments. Their leaders seem to care little
about their own people and their needs. Lord, hear our prayers:
The Lord our God cares for all oppressed people.

Just and Honourable God, your nature and your ways
proclaim you to be the compassionate God of all people.
We pray for people who know the horror of oppression,
imprisonment without cause, and the loss of freedom to
act or worship you as they choose. Lord, hear our prayers:
The Lord our God cares for all bewildered people.

God of grace and love, we seek your merciful help for
people who struggle with poverty, hunger, diseases
that can be cured with modern medicine, and for all
children who are deprived of the basic necessities of life.
We pray for all Aid Agencies who serve suffering humanity
in challenging circumstances. Lord, hear our prayers:
The Lord our God cares for all defenceless people.

God of peace, may the light of your shalom shine
on all vulnerable people. Bring peace with justice,
O God, and a hope that is realised in the hearts,
and minds of all your people Lord, hear our prayers:
The Lord our God cares for all vulnerable people. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Epiphany of the Lord Year A 2011
Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14

My life and upbringing centred on the faith and hope of my
forebears, and whilst that may have given me a slightly biased
perspective on life, it also gave me the opportunity to see and
experience the variations of life and human existence from a
spiritual perspective. I knew love, joy, goodness, hope, mercy,
and challenge. I also experienced pain, sorrow, regret, doubt,
loneliness, fear, disappointment, bewilderment, and forgiveness.



Each day, I read the newspaper and listen to the radio for news
of world and national events, and the emphasis always seems
to be on gloom and doom; always about disastrous events; and
always about unsuccessful efforts to achieve any harmony or
peace in a community or family. I would really like to hear some
positive and encouraging information, so that there is at least
an attempt to balance the way people’s lives are seen by others.



I live in a world community, with many variations in faiths, cultures,
traditions, languages, appearances and educational opportunities;
and together, we form a community that is inter-dependent. Yet, so
often there are people who seem to be intent on destroying trust,
justice and honourable intentions. Many leaders of regional, national
or international communities seem to delight in causing friction; to
look after their own interests first before the rights and privileges of
others; and to deny people their heritage of equal and fair opportunities.



I am part of a faith community, who hope and trust in God as Lord,
Friend, Companion, and Compassionate Saviour and Redeemer,
and who believe that they have been placed by God to help bring
health, wholeness, education, peace, justice and God’s shalom.
May your Kingdom come and your will be done, O Righteous God.

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Acknowledgements:
Unless stated otherwise, all Bible readings and extracts used in these weekly Prayers and Meditations are from
‘The New Revised Standard Version’ Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

*The additional weekly numbering is from the Revised COCU Indexing Scheme
COCU = ('Consultation on Church Union'); as it offers an easy sequential numbering
for the Revised Common Lectionary for the Church Calendar.

If any part of these Prayers and/or Meditations is used in shared worship, please provide
the following acknowledgement:
© 2011 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: epiphofthelorda_2011.pdf

© 2011 Joan Stott - " The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year A